Cross feed cutter



Oct. 28, 1952 J. F. HALsTEAD CROSS FEED CUTTER Filed Feb. l5, 1945 2 SHEETS-SHEET l new . NVENTOR.

.JOHN F. HALSTEAD BYU ' AT1-ORNEl J. F. HALSTEAD CROSS FEED CUTTER 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Feb.. 15, 1945 FIG. .1.0

INVEN-ron A n E N m R L O Aww H A F.

Patented Oct. 28, 1952 UNITED STATES CROSS FEED CUTTER John F. Halstead, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to International Cigar Machineryv Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application February 15, 194:'5,r Serial-No. 578,042

5 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for cutting the filler tobacco for bunch charges, and is intended for the cutting of bunch lengths from which cigar bunches having blunt head-ends and tapered tuck ends may be formed. More particularly the invention relates to cigar machines of the type wherein bunch lengths are cut from a stream of long filler tobacco and assembled'to form a column of tobacco from which bunch charges are separated. and wrapped within a binder'to form a cigar bunch whose ends are squeezed to the required shape. This type of machine is shown in the Bronander Patent 1,740,571, issued December y24, 19.29,

wherein bunch length sections are separated from a stream of filler tobacco for assembly into a column of tobacco from which bunch charges are separated. In the severance of the bunch length sections the head end of the severed bunch length and the tuck end of the adjoining bunch length section of the ller stream are simultaneously formed by a single cut in order to avoid waste. Since the head end of a blunt head cigar will require more tobacco than its tuck end, the problem of providing the proper amounts of tobacco at the ends of the bunch lengths has been a source of trouble which has been satisfactorily overcome by the present invention.

In some of the cigar machines of this type now in use for manufacturing cigars having blunt heads and tapered tuck ends, the bunch length cutter is shaped to provide at the head end of the severed bunch length the proper amount of tobacco. However, when the shape of the cutter conforms to the desired shape of the head end of the severed bunch length there will be a surplus of tobacco at the tuck end, because the taper on the tuck end of the cigar extends inwardly to a greater distance than the taper on its head end. Accordingly no tobacco will be `removed by the cutter at the portion of the tuck end of the bunch length corresponding to the inner portion of the tapered tuck end of the cigar.

Therefore, when the tuck end of the cigar bunch formed from the severed bunch lengths was squeezed to the required tapered shape, there was produced a cigar whose tuck end was of greater density than the rest of the cigar and therefore had poor drawing qualities and did not burn evenly. In my prior Patent 1,805,694, there is shown a bunch length cutter which is provided with punches serving to remove the ,surplus tobacco at the tuck ends of the severed bunch lengths. However when the bunch length cutter lof said patentwas installed on some cigar machines it was troublesome, because some of the 2 Y punchings fell'on to the bunch lengths .fandthus were introduced into the finished cigar.

One of the main objects of my inventionis-to provide a method and apparatus for cutting the bunch lengths in such a manner that theproper amount of filler tobacco required for cigars having blunt heads and tapered tuck ends will be provided at the tuck end, and a surplus of to- -bacco will be provided at the head end which will be trimmed `off from the cigar bunch in the `crimper mechanism which squeezes the ends of the cigar bunchito the required shape. Thus when the tuck end of the cigar bunch is squeezed to the required-shape its density will be substantially the same. as that of the remainder of .the bunch and the drawing and burning. qualities of the cigar will not be impaired. y

Moreover in the -case of cigar machines which were not equipped with the punch cutter of my lPatent 1,805,694 an untapered portion of the tuck` end of the cigar bunch disposed inwardly of the tapered portion was squeezed to a tapered shape in the crimping jaws. Therefore, -when the tuck end of the bunch was released from the crimping jaws, said untapered portion ofthe ,tuck end would bulge and the wrapper-would tear during application to the tuck end of the bunch. With lthe bunch length cutter of my present inventionvthe taper of the tuck endof the cigar bunch will attain the required shapeby `the'coaction of the crimper jaws,because the surplus on rthe head end of the bunch lengthcorresponds to the amount of tobacco vwhich-should .be removed from the vportion of the tuckend of the bunch length corresponding to the linner section of the tapered tuck end of the cigar. Ac-

Acordingljnthis portion of the tuck end'of the bunch will not swell out beyond the required shape afterremoval from the crimping jaws and the' wrapper will not be torn when applied to the bunch. Y

With these and other objects not specifically mentioned in view, the inventionconsists in cerftain constructions and methods rwhich willy b'e Fig. 3 is a plan view of a bunch length severed from the stream of ller tobacco showing its location in the filler stream;

Fig. 4: is a fragmentary end elevation of a suitable crimper mechanism wherein the ends of a cigar bunch formed from the bunch lengths severed by my improved cutter are squeezed to the desired shape and trimmed;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the crimper mechanism showing the operation of the crimper trimming knives;

Fig. 6 is a view on an enlarged scale oi a cigar bunch after its ends have been squeezed to the shape required for a blunt head and tapered tuck end, this View showing the ends of the bunch before they are trimmed;

Fig. 7 is a View of a bunch length severed by my improved cutter, the surplus material which is trimmed oli from its ends being indicated by dotted lines;

Fig. 8 is a view of the cigar formed by my improved method;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view on a greatly reduced scale of a bunch rolling table on which the bunch charge formed from the severed bunch lengths is rolled within a binder to provide a cigar bunch.

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the compacted column M formed from bunch lengths L severed from the advancing stream of ller tobacco T.

Referring to Fig. l of the drawings, the ller tobacco consisting of stemmed tobacco leaves is placed in the lfiller feed channel formed by the upper horizontal run of an endless belt I0 and the inner vertical runs of a pair of side belts (not shown) to form a stream of ller tobacco T. Belt I0 and the side belts (not shown) are intermittently driven by suitable mechanism such as shown in the Bronander Patent 1,740,571, wherefore further description thereof is deemed unnecessary. The stream of iiller tobacco 'I'` is advanced on belt IB by bunch length increments over a ledger plate I2 supported on a base (not shown) corresponding to the base 7l of said Bronander patent. Thus the leading end of the ller stream is advanced upon a swingable platform I5 (fragmentarily shown), corresponding to the platform 22 of said Bronander patent. The base (not shown) is secured to the lower ends of a bifurcated pedestal Il' whose upper portion is fragmentarily shown'in Fig. l. The pedestal I'I corresponds to the pedestal 17 in the abovementioned Bronander patent, and reference may be had to said patent for further details thereof. On stationary guide posts I 9, which correspond to the posts 70 of said Bronander patent, is slidably mounted a frame 2l to which is secured the corrugated bunch length cutter 23. The cutter 23 is provided with ribs 24 having curved and straight shearing edges (Fig. 2) which lit the curved indentations i3 of the ledger plate I2 when the cutter descends to sever a bunch length L from the filler stream T. The indent-ations I3 of the-ledger plate have a configuration corresponding to the required shape of the head end of the bunch lengths from which the cigar bunch is to be formed, and are provided with inward extensions I l which iit extensions on the ribs 25 of cutter 23. These indentations I4 and extensions 25 are substantially straight-sided wedges to form the taper at the tuck end illustrated at the left of Fig. 6. Thus when the bunch length L is severed from the filler stream T, as shown in Figs. 3 and 10, the headv end of the severed bunch length will have fish-tails or projections F corresponding to the shape of the ribs 24 and integral extensions E corresponding in shape to the extensions 25 of ribs 24. Since the curve of the projections F is different from the extension E, the shoulder J will be formed at the juncture of the projections F and E. The tuck end of bunch length L will have indentations corresponding to the shape of the fish-tails F and their extensions E. It may be noted that the area of the integral extensions E is approximately equal to the amount of tobacco which should be removed from the tuck ends of the bunch lengths for formation of a tapered tuck end on the final cigar bunch formed from the bunch lengths. Furthermore, the extension E is shaped to make the wedge-like cut H (Fig. '7) so as to provide this taper as illustrated at the left of Fig. 6 When the iinal cigar bunch is formed.

The frame 2l is connected to a slide 30 corresponding to the slide 60 of the above-mentioned Bronander patent. Slide 3G is mounted between guide rails 32 on pedestal I1 and is connected by a link 34 to a cam lever 36 provided with a cam roller Sil engaging a cam track of a cam mounted on a shaft 42 supported by pedestal E'I. Since the mechanism for reciprocating slide 3B is similar to that shown in said Bronander patent, further description thereof is deemed unnecessary except to state it will move cutter 23 downwardly to coact with the ledger plate i2 and thereby sever a bunch length from the stream of filler tobacco T. The compactor 43 is suspended by links dfi and 6 from a, bracket 48 of pedestal Il, the joint oi links it and 48 being connected by a link 53 to slide 3e. The compactor 43 is guided in its reciprocating movement by rods 52 which slide in bearings 5d of pedestal II. Thus the iiller stream T is compacted by compactor 413 before it is fed over the ledger plate I2 on to the swingable platform I5.

The severed bunch length rests on the swingable platform I 5 which then swings downwardly. A swinging arm (not shown) then advances the severed bunch length sidewise to -form a compacted column M of tobacco from which a bunch charge C oi tobacco is separated by a suitable knife K. The construction of the swing-ing arm andthe manner in which the column of tobacco is formed and bunch charges separated therefrom is illustrated in the above-mentioned Bronander patent. The separated bunch charges may be delivered manually or by a charge transfer (not shown) to a bunch rolling table of any suitable construction such as shown in the Carlson Patent'2 .081,983. In Fig. 9 is fragmentarily shown a portion ci the bunch rolling table of the Carlson Patent 2,081,983. Table 'I is provided with a, bunch rolling apron v8, and the bunch charge is `deposited in a loop formed in apron 8 by a rolling pin `Si. As the rolling pin 9 moves forwardly across the table the bunch Echarge C in its loop -is rolled within a binder spread upon the apron .in front of the loop, to form a cigar bunch B. The cigar bunch is then transferred toa softeningmechani'sm such as shown in Clausen Patent 2,337,028 from which it is delivered to the ycrimper mechanism.

In the 'crimper mechanism illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, which may be of any suitable construction such as shown in the Bronander Patent 1,578,579, issued March 30, 1926, the ends of the cigar bunch are squeezed to the required shape to provide a blunt head and a tapered tuck end. The crimper mechanism includes a bracket in :1,578,579 to a ycam lever (not shown).

which a post-62 is reciprocably mounted. Post 62 lcarries a head 64- toy whichare secured a pair of lower crimper jaws 66 spaced sufficiently to engage the ends of the cigar bunch. On a shaft 'GBiin bracket 60 is secured a swinging'bracketlll `provided with a head 'l2 on Which'are secured a pair yof upper crimper jaws 7.4. Jaws 'lll 'are comz'mounted on bracket kt!) and connected by a link lfto a boss'formed on head 64; and lactuator 76. is also connected by a link (not shown)v corresponding to the link of Bronander 'Patent When the actuator 76 is swung von its pivot the po-stsEZ is raised o-r lowered with the crimper jaws E8.

4The actuator 16 is provided with a cain surface (not shown) lcorresponding to the cam surface 2.3,'24, shown iny Bronander Patent,1,578`,579, and engaging a cam fol-lower (not shown) on the lower end of bracket 78. When actuator-78 is rocked to raise the lower crimper jaws vSetothe position shown in Fig. 2 of the BronanderPatent 1^,578,579, the arm 18. is swung inwardly with the upper crimper jaws .to the position shown in Fig.

,2 of said patent. and held in this position while the post -62 is further raised with the lower crimper jaws to the Iuppermost, positionshown in Fig-4 of my drawing.v A spring (not shown) corresponding to the spring 26 of the Bronander Patent 1,578,579 is connected to arm lil to main- .tain the ycam follower (not shown) on arm 78 L'against the cam surface of the actuator 78.

vThe cigar bunchB 'is inserted by the bunch `transfer of the above-mentioned Clausen Patent 2,337,028 between the crimper jaws while they are in the positions shown in Fig. 1 of Bronander "Patent 1,578,579. The actuator 76 is then rocked rand the post 60 is raised with the -crimperjaws 66 while arm 'l0 is swunginwardly With crimper Vjaws 14 and the jaws 'SB are further raisedv to the `severed bunch lengths form the teat S von the `head end of the cigar bunch B when squeezed Vbetween the crimper jaws' and 113. The shape of the Afish-tails F of the severed bunch lengths can be varied to suit various shapes or" blunt heads desired on the cigar bunch by varying the shape of the ribs 24 of cutter' 23. The shape of theeXte-nsions E on the fish-tails F of the severed bunch length may be varied by changing the shape of the extensions 25 on the ribs 24 of cutter 23. `However the area of ribs 2'4 and extensions 25 should be great enough to remove sufficient material from the tuck ends of the bunch lengths to provide the requisite taper o-f the tuck end of the ycigar bunch when squeezed between the It should also be noted that thecrimper jaws. extensions lE 'of fish tails F should extend into the tuck end of the adjoining bunch length section of the filler stream 'to a point where the taper of the tuck end of the cigar bunch practically terminates. Thus the bulging of the tuck end of the cigar bunch B upon being released from the crimper jaws will not make it oversize, as in the case of some cigar machines now in use for manufacturing blunt head cigars. Therefore the tuck end of the cigar bunch B will be of the proper size land will'not tear the wrapper during applicationto the bunch in the wrapping'mechamsm. Y

'The bunch crimping mechanism is further provided With mechanism'ior trimming the ends of bunch B after they have been squeezed to the proper shape by the crimper jaws 66, '14.' This mechanism includes a pairof trimming knives 82 fastened to the up-per ends of a pair of Aarmsftl secured'to the shaft 168. One of the arms 84 has an extension `815 vvvhi'chlies in the path of a stud 88 secured to the actuator 76. A stop screw90 threaded into va boss y9'2 on the arm 10 limits the .movement in one direction of th-e arm 84 having thev extension 36, and this arm is normally held against screw 98 by a compression spring 94.

When the parts of the crimper mechanism have reached the position shown in Fig. 4 hereof, thev crimper jaws' yand .'M remain stationary j for reasons fully described on page 2, lines 55.61 ofthe specification of Bronander Patent 1,578,- 579. -At this .time the stud. 88 has come into engagement with the extension 36 of arm 84 anda littlefurther rocking movement of the actuator .76 throws the trimming knives into operation.

The teat S is thus severed from the head end of ythe cigar bunch B and its tuck end issimultaneously trimmed. When the actuator 76 is rocked in the opposite direction they trimming knives are iirst return-ed to their normal position, then the post 62 is lowered and the bracket 7G swung `outwardly to release the shaped bunch.

A suitable bunch transfer then carries the bunch to the wrapperapplying mechanism Where the wrapper is applied to fornithe-iinished cigar C shown in Fig. 8.

It' will be observed that the ends ofthe bunch B are trimmed in the crimping mechanism from the shouldered along the dotted lines A-A and D-D in Fig. 7 to form the blunt head of the cigar bunch and the'desired taper ofits tuck `end.

What is claimed is:

l. In a cigar machine for making cigar bunches having a tapered tuck end, the combination `with bunch crimper mechanism adapt- 'ed to-shape and trim the ends of cigar bunches,

said bunch crimper mechanism including `a pair of jaws adapted to compressthe tuck ends of Acigar bunches to a predetermined tapered shape,

indentations in said vledger plate havinginward substantially wedge-shapedextensions, and the coniiguration of said indentations and theirinward extensions corresponding to the required shape of the indentations in the tuck ends of y bunch'lengths from which cigar bunches are to be formed and `said inward extensions terminating at a point where theta'per'of the tuck ends of cigarrbunches formedtherefrom substantially.

tensions and adapted to coacttherewith to sever bunch lengths of ller tobacco from said stream and which are assembled for the formation of bunch charges to which binders are applied to produce cigar bunches, whereby the head end of the severed bunch length section will have the proper amount of tobacco required for formation of the head end of the cigar bunch and a surplus of tobacco consisting of integral tails which will be trimmed off in said bunch crimper mechanism when said cigar bunches are delivered to the crmper mechanism, and the tuck end of the bunch length section of the iiller stream located immediately behind the cutter will have the proper amount of filler tobacco required for the formation of the tapered tucl; end of the cigar bunch.

2. In a cigar machine, the combination with a ledger plate over which a stream of filler tobacco is advanced for severance of bunch lengths, a cutter adapted to coact with said ledger plate to shear bunch lengths from said stream, said ledger plate having extended indentations along only one lateral edge thereof and said cutter having ribs closely tting` said extended indentations of the ledger plate, said indentations each having a major curved portion adjacent the open end thereof and a minor portion at the inner end thereof and of a contour differing from that of the major portion and said extended indentations and ribs having a configuration and area which will provide iishtails on the head end of the severed bunch length containing sufcient tobacco for formation of blunt heads on cigar bunches formed from the severed bunch lengths together with a surplus of tobacco consisting of integral tails projecting from said iishtails into the tuck end of the adjoining bunch length section of the iiller stream, the length and width of said tails being suicient that the amount of tobacco therein will approximately equal the amount of tobacco which should be removed from the tuck end of the bunch lengths for formation of the taper of the tapered tuck end on the cigar bunch formed from said bunch lengths.

3. The method of forming cigar bunches from which cigars having tapered tuck ends are to be formed, comprising forming a stream of long filler tobacco, making a single corrugated out having curved portions and wedge-shaped extensions on each curved portion and forming shoulders between said portions and extensions, across the stream at intervals of a bunch length apart and thus simultaneously severing bunch lengths and forming the head and tuck ends of adjoining bunch length sections with a series of projections at each end of the severed bunch lengths, the shape of the cuts being such that the requisite amount of ller at the tuck end of the severed bunch lengths will be provided and a surplus amount of tobacco will be provided on the extremities of the projections at the head end of the severed bunch lengths, forming a bunch charge from the bunch lengths, wrapping the bunch charge in a binder to form a cigar bunch, squeezing the ends of the cigar bunch to form a tapered tuck end having the tapered shape required and also form a head end having a projecting teat, the surplus material on the head end oi the bunch charge constituting said teat,

j and then trimming the projecting teat on the indentations having a conguration corresponding to the required shape of' the head ends of bunch lengths from which cigar bunches having blunt head .ends are to be formed, the indentations in said ledger plate having inward extensions and the connguration of said ndentations and their inward extensions corresponding to the required shape of the tuck ends of bunch lengths from which cigar bunches having tapered tuck ends are to be formed, said indentations land extensions forming inwardly directed shoulders at the juncture of each indentation and its extension and said inward extensions of said indentations projecting into the tuck end of the adjoining bunch lengths in said stream toA a point where the taper cf the tuck end of the cigar bunch formed from said bunch length substantially terminates, and a cutter provided with ribs closely tting the indentations of said ledger plate and their inward extensions and adapted to coact therewith to sever bunch lengths of fillery tobacco from said stream, whereby the head end ofthe severed bunch length section will have the proper amount of tobacco required for the formation of the blunt head end of the cigar bunch and a surplus of tobacco consisting of integral tails, and the tuck end of the adjoining bunch length section of the ller stream located immediately behind the cutter will have the proper amount of filler tobacco required for the formation of the tapered tuck end of the cigar bunch.

5. The method of forming cigar bunches from which cigars having blunt heads and tapered tuck ends are to be formed, comprising forming curved and substantially straight cuts along a predetermined line across a stream of long filler tobacco by a single corrugated cutting operation at intervals of a bunch length apart and thus simultaneously forming the head and tuck ends of adjoining bunch length sections to provide a series of projections at each end of thesevered bunch lengths, the shape of the cuts being such that the requisite amount of ller for the formation of the blunt head and tapered tuck end of a cigar will be provided at the ends of the severed bunch lengths and a surplus amount of tobacco will be provided at the extremities of the projections at the head end of the severed bunch lengths, assembling the bunch lengths to form a bunch charge, wrapping the bunch charge in a binder to form a cigar bunch, squeezing the ends of the cigar bunch in a bunch crimper mechanism to form a tapered tuck end corresponding to the tapered shape required and also form a blunt head end having a projecting teat, and trimming olf said teat in the crimper mechanism, said surplus amount of tobacco on the head end of the bunch length constituting said teat.

JOHN F. HALSTEAD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the lile of this patent:

- UNITED STATES PATENTS 

